


Skyhold Café

by MeganMoonlight



Series: Skyhold Café [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Background Relationships, Banter, Coffee Shops, Dragon Age Kink Meme, Established Relationship, Flirting, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Modern Thedas, Multi, Teasing, Trevelyan (Dragon Age) has Sibling(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 18:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4446788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganMoonlight/pseuds/MeganMoonlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Maxwell wondered how he ended up being a co-owner of a coffee-shop when he didn't even like coffee, but well, Josephine and Leliana were very persuasive when they wanted to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skyhold Café

"Sera, clean the tables , okay? I’ll get the cups to the kitchen," Maxwell said as he passed her.

"Sure thing."

“I think I need to sit down for a while. My legs are still killing me after yesterday.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll handle everythin’.”

Maxwell Trevelyan took the tray from the counter and walked up to the table after the two customers occupying it left. He put two empty cups on the tray, then he moved to clean everything from the next one as well, hoping his sigh was not as loud as it seemed.

Fortunately there weren't many people frequenting "Skyhold Café" that day. Normally it would have worried him, since it was his business after all, but ever since he had woken up that day he had felt tired and he really appreciated a slower day after being called in to help the day before. In the afternoon they had so many customers that instead of enjoying the few films he had planned to watch for some time, he had spent additional five hours at work; the joys of being a co-owner of a coffee shop.

So, yes, the fact that Thursday evenings were usually less busy than others was quite welcome. He had time to sit down and relax after the few busier hours where people appeared in larger groups, most of them being students and professors from the nearby university. They couldn’t complain about the lack of customers even during the slower days, which for some reason always managed to surprise him. And hiring one more person to help had been a great idea.

When Maxwell had suggested it a few months back, Josephine Montilyet, his friend and co-owner of the coffee shop, who was also responsible for the paperwork and the legal side of the business in general, got surprisingly excited about the idea. It was when he had learned that the coffee shop was not only some sort of temporary project before she moved on to something larger. She actually had hoped to expand their business and make it into something _big_ , which quite surprised him, but since then he had decided to let her handle everything the way she wanted, trusting her management skills.

Sometimes Maxwell still wondered how he ended up being the co-owner of a coffee shop when he didn't even like coffee, but well, Josephine and Leliana Nightingale, their friend and the person who had helped Josephine set everything up, were very persuasive when they wanted to be.

Maxwell had met them a few weeks after he moved to the Frostback Mountains City in search of a new place to live. He had moved out of his family home in Ostwick after another disagreement with his parents concerning his life choices, since he refused to take part in their grand plans. Not like his older siblings, who did everything their parents wanted. He had enough of his family trying to run his life, and since even as a small child he still had managed to save enough money, he had moved out as far as he could. He had came across Frostaback Mountains City by accident, when he had been browsing cheap places to rent, but he fell in love with the location as soon as he saw the pictures of landscapes and the city. It seemed… quiet. Unrestrained. 

After meeting Josehpine and Leliana, and having spend enough time with them both to call them his friends, he had decided to help them with setting up a business. He had needed a job then, too, after all. They had needed money for the business, and Maxwell had needed opportunity to start a new life for himself. 

The coffee shop had changed his life more than he had expected.

“Hey, can you tell Cole to bake more of those weird red cookies with raisins? We’re almost out and I guess Solas will want one or ten when he’s done professoring.”

“You do know that’s not a word, right?” Maxwell turned to her after he took the last cup from the table, turning to say goodbye to two customers who just left and hand the cloth to Dorian who just left the kitchen. Harding just grinned at them as she continued to make the next orders for the customers.

“I just said it, so it can be a word,” Sera shrugged, swiping the counter carelessly and then throwing the cloth so that it landed next to the coffee-maker. Then she looked at the cookies with distaste. “Ugh, I don’t get how can anyone eat those.”

“Good thing it’s not you who eats them then, right?” Maxwell smiled. “Besides, Cole’s and Dagna’s pastry experiments always end up being a hit sooner or later, so we can’t really complain.”

Cole, a young man who had one day turned to them and asked for a job because he liked cooking for people, and Dagna, a cheerful dwarf who loved experimenting in the kitchen, were responsible for all the food sold in “Skyhold Café”. Minaeve knew a lot about all kinds of coffee and tea and had been their only barista until they hired Lace Harding, a barista and occasionally a waiter, whose skills were the reason why many clients from her previous job followed her to "Skyhold Café." Their waiters were Sera, an energetic elf who loved joking, which Maxwell really appreciated, because she was often the one who always managed to defuse the situation, Helisma Derington, a quiet woman who was a friend of Minaeve, and Maxwell himself.

They were an unusual team, but they were great at what they did. 

Just after Maxwell left the dishes in the sink and stepped back behind the counter, he looked at Dorian, who was talking to one of the patrons; Michel, if Maxwell remembered correctly. The man was tall and blond, he was wearing a light-blue button-down shirt and dark trousers, and seemed to be curious about whatever they were discussing. He just handed Dorian about ten sovereigns, which Maxwell was sure was much more than what his coffee actually cost. Well, that was definitely something.

"Thank you for the coffee," Michel said, as he looked down briefly, but only for a second, because soon he focused on Dorian once again. Maxwell noticed the tips of the man’s ears turned a little pink as Dorian smiled at him charmingly.

"You're welcome, of course,” he replied. “It is absolutely delightful to meet someone who appreciates the rich taste of dark Orlesian coffee with a dash of mint."

After the man left, saying good-bye to them once again, Dorian just cleaned the table, looking pleased, but this smile seemed to be a bit different from Dorian’s usual brand of smugness. 

"Good job there," Maxwell said. “I never got as many tips as you did during my first week.”

“What can I say, it is difficult to resist my charm," Dorian stated, a smile never disappearing from his face.

Dorian was their newest waiter, hired about two weeks back, after their previous waiter, Flissa, had to get back home to help her family. He was a person who caught people’s attention right away, and not only because of the elegant clothing he was always wore. The first thing he did when he had came in to “Skyhold Café” looked around curiously, and after a few seconds he had asked Maxwell if they were hiring. Maxwell was curious, so he had asked what someone dressed like Dorian was doing in his coffee shop, but after the man shortly answered "family disagreement," Maxwell hadn’t asked about further details. He knew something about disagreements with one’s family, after all. Dorian had told him that he was not a fan of working over all, but it seemed like a good challenge. He knew a lot about coffee, but wasn’t talking much about himself, however, he was making up for it with sarcasm and advice about coffee and tea for each customer.

Sera still seemed to be uncertain about him after the first week, but Dorian seemed to get accustomed to the new job, if not counting the occasional comments about the hours, the cold weather or rude customers. However, Maxwell had a feeling this was just how Dorian was about working in general.

"Congrats, you get more and more smug every day," Sera walked past him, slapping Dorian on the ass sharply, making him drop the cloth. "So, how does your highness like the lowly coffee shop? No offense, boss."

"None taken." Maxwell shook his head at the amusement in her tone.

"Well," Dorian raised an eyebrow at Sera, but continued to clean the tables. "Some people here are not familiar with the concept of personal space and don't appreciate my wit and my, how did you put it, "fancy-ass clothes," but it is not as bad as I imagined working to be."

"Oh, come on, you'd be bored without me and you know it," she said and sat down on one of the chairs, waggling her eyebrows, making Harding laugh.

"Yes, well, I would also have some peace and quiet from time to time."

“Peace and quiet? Here?” Harding asked from behind the counter. “Please. If you’re looking for that, you’re definitely in the wrong place, then.”

"And you get enough of quiet when you help Cole, yeah? Anyway, that blond guy who just left? He is so into you. He got all gooey-eyed when he was staring at you."

“Sera, what have I told you about commenting on any aspects of my love life?” Dorian looked at her, one eyebrow raised, and she just rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.

“Not talking, blah, blah, not my business, blah, something, something, blah. Come on, we’re just talkin’.” 

“Oh, wonderful,” he smirked. “Does that mean you will finally tell me something about a certain singer who happens to be playing on the other side of the street right now? Or about those “friends” of yours, since it would be very nice to get to know better people you spend time with. I’m sure this conversation would be much more interesting. Or maybe about…”

“Ugh, fine. I’m not asking about your love life again.”

“Thank you.”

The day continued to be quite slow until the end of the working hours. A few minutes before closing, when Sera, Harding and Cole were in the kitchen cleaning up and Dorian had gone home to change his clothes quickly, Maxwell stayed by the counter, as the last customer had left a few minutes before. That day he was planning on staying longer anyway, to catch up with his part of the paperwork and sometimes the others stayed with him, just hanging around and enjoying whatever food was left. He was done with counting the cash so he took a few minutes to check his e-mails.

Soon, however, the door opened again. It was already late, so Maxwell’s first reaction was to tell the customers they were closed already, but when he looked up from his phone, he saw Cassandra Penthagast and Gordon Blackwall, Detectives of Frostback Mountains Police Department entering the shop, grim looks on their faces.

Maxwell hid his phone in the pocket as Cassandra greeted him. 

"Trevelyan," she said, sitting down on the closest chair, as Blackwall nodded shortly taking a chair right next to hers. "I know it's late and we're sorry for that, but could we get some coffee?"

"Sure, no problem." 

Maxwell went to the kitchen and asked Harding for two cups of black coffee as he snagged two plates and put a butter croissant on each, adding a blueberry tart for Cassandra and a chocolate chip cookie for Blackwall.

When he entered the room again, the Detectives were talking quietly, looking quite serious, but stopped when he walked up to them and put the plates on the table.

"Long day?" he asked and Cassandra sighed, nodding. She leaned forward to put one elbow on the table and exhaled quietly as she pulled one plate closer to her.

"Thank you, you didn't have to."

"You looked like you needed it and Harding made more than enough. Someone should bring the coffee soon."

They sat quietly for a while, as Maxwell got back to the counter. He turned his laptop on and started to fill in the paperwork as Cassandra and Blackwall sat by the table in silence. The coffee shop was mostly quiet, making the conversation between Harding and Sera seem much louder than it actually was. 

Cassandra was one of Josephine and Leliana’s oldest friends and she and Blackwall visited quite often, though they usually visited when Josephine was the one working. Even if it had been almost a year and a half since Maxwell had moved into town, and just as long since his and Cassandra’s first meeting, he still had a feeling she didn’t trust him. It wasn’t anything obvious, she never said it to his face, and every time he had asked Leliana and Josephine about it they told him it was just how Cassandra was, so Maxwell tried not to think about it much. 

"For the last few days we have been investigating the tip from Varric and Leliana and... things got a bit complicated," Cassandra said a few minutes later and the way she said it made Maxwell look up from his computer.

"No shit," Blackwall grunted, finishing his croissant. As he moved the plate away he pinched the bridge of his nose and Maxwell could only imagine how long he and Cassandra must have worked lately.

"We can't tell you much else just yet, but I think we might need to look around some more and get back to the first reports about the fire. Do you know where Leliana and Varric are? They haven't answered their phones for the last two days."

Maxwell scratched the back of his head. "I know Varric is out of town, but I haven't heard from Leliana lately. She just mentioned taking a longer trip somewhere, or something. Josephine and Cullen should be here tomorrow, they might know something more."

Cassandra murmured something to herself that Blackwall must have heard apparently, because the corner of mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"We'll drink the coffee and go, so you can close up," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Maxwell replied just as Harding brought coffee. "I'm staying late today anyway. I was planning doing check-up on supplies and doing some paperwork, so you can stay as long as you need."

"Are you sure?" Cassandra raised one eyebrow and Maxwell nodded, turning to his computer again.

"Yeah. I can't leave all the paperwork to Josephine, doesn’t matter how much I’d love to. We’re usually busy during the day so I leave the paperwork for later, but I hate doing it in my apartment; I get distracted too much."

"And the rest?" Blackwall asked, looking in the direction of the kitchen, where Harding and Sera were laughing at something rather loudly. Maxwell just shrugged.

"They stay sometimes, too, when they want to help. I told them they don't have to, but..."

"He wouldn't be able to handle anything without our help!" Sera yelled and Blackwall snorted at that, while Maxwell just shook his head.

"Yeah, exactly that. At this point we treat it as a team-building evenings, I guess."

"I believe I'm late to this "team-building evening" then?” They turned to see Dorian, one eyebrow raised in question, as he was leaning with his shoulder against the wall. "If I am interrupting something I can happily go home. Today's day was rather hectic. But, honestly, leave for half an hour and the party starts without you. Ah, Detectives, good evening."

Cassandra nodded shortly, as Blackwall murmured “good evening,” and Dorian smiled at them charmingly before turning to Maxwell. 

"Nah, you're not interrupting. But if you're tired you can go home, of course. It's not obligatory or anything."

“Well, since I am here anyway I could help, but I believe Sera and Lace are doing a splendid job even without my contribution.”

They all got back to work after that. Between Sera, Harding and Dorian they finished counting and checking everything quickly and then they ended up sitting around and enjoying the pastry they didn’t sell. Casandra and Blackwall were back to talking between themselves quietly, and Maxwell tried to overcome the sleepiness and to finish at least a half of the paperwork he had left. Filling in forms and making lists of orders and supplies was the most monotonous part of the job, but it had to be done, doesn’t matter that he had to fight the urge to yawn every five minutes. 

Maxwell was the type of a person who preferred acting rather than sitting and planning, but it had to be done. Maxwell knew that if he won’t finish them as soon as possible, he probably wouldn't get around to doing them for the next few days, and if he were late with them it would only create more problems for Josephine.

Near 10 pm Maxwell took a break to make some tea. Harding had left about half an hour earlier, but the rest had stayed, even if Maxwell told them they really didn’t have to. Just as he put the glass down the door opened again and Maxwell thought Harding probably forgot to take something, but when he looked up, he couldn’t help smiling. 

"I didn't know you were staying at work this late," Iron Bull said, but then turned to look at the table occupied by the Detectives. "Detective Penthagast, Blackwall."

"Bull,” Cassandra replied shortly.

Bull smirked as he turned to look at Maxwell again. “You look like you’re about to fall asleep right there by the counter.”

“Hopefully that won’t happen. But I am starting to think you are all conspiring to come in late to get free coffee," Maxwell replied and Bull, along with Krem, Dalish and Skinner laughed. 

Iron Bull, a big, muscular Qunari with an eye patch on his left eye and scars on his face, was a leader of the local bikers, the Bull’s Chargers, the most diverse, unique group of people Maxwell had ever seen. The group usually traveled across the country and rarely stopped anywhere, and one evening , about four months after Maxwell became a co-owner of the coffee shop, they had stepped in the “Skyhold Café.” They had started coming in more often after that and Maxwell had found out that they were rather well known in the city. At first Maxwell was not sure what to think about any of them, but as soon as he had found out Bull knew Leliana, he wasn’t as concerned anymore.

His and Bull’s relationship came as a surprise to him, but he couldn’t complain. He had started spending more time with Bull and the rest of the Chargers, too, and after he get to know them better he was even more glad that he decided to live in Frostback Mountains City. If he had stayed in Ostwick he would have never had a chance to meet any of those people. 

Since the Chargers were used to travelling and their trips sometimes lasted as long as a month, he and Maxwell were used to the long-distance relationship, but fortunately those trips weren’t as frequent anymore. Before this trip Bull had told him they would be gone for about three weeks, so Maxwell didn’t expect to see him a week earlier.

"If we're interrupting we can go," Bull leaned against one of the tables, a smirk never leaving his face, but the glint in his eye made Maxwell smile.

"Stay," he said and Bull nodded, the grin transforming into the smile Maxwell knew so well. "Where are the others?"

"In Cabot's pub. They needed something stronger after today," Krem replied.

When Bull sat down on the nearest chair, his legs splayed comfortably, leaning back, Maxwell just shook his head, biting his lip. Bull liked showing off in front of him. Big, but gentle hand came up to the small of his back as soon as Maxwell stepped closer and when he was pulled to sit on Bull's lap, he leaned against the man enjoying the closeness. 

"So, Bull, your usual?" Maxwell asked, wrapping an arm around Bull’s broad shoulders as he felt a kiss pressed to his chin.

"Depends on how much time you have, Kadan," a smirk appeared on Bull's face and Maxwell felt himself blush. “I don’t mind waiting until we get home, though.”

"I meant the coffee and you know it,” Maxwell slapped the Qunari’s shoulder gently then turned to the three Chargers who were now snickering, not even trying to hide it. “And, really, it wasn’t _that_ funny. Don’t encourage him.”

"Actually, it was kinda funny. You just keep walking into that one every single time," Dalish grinned as she stretched her hands above her head.

"And how do you even know it’s not on purpose? I mean, he used it so many times already that it wasn’t difficult to catch on, you know," Maxwell couldn’t help smiling when everyone laughed, and he even heard Cassandra snicker, even if she wasn’t looking at them. It was nice to see the Chargers again, really. It had been two weeks, but now when he could just relax and talk to all of them again, it felt really good.

Bull laughed, too, as he brought Maxwell even closer. One of his fingers sneaked under Maxwell's shirt co caress the skin of his hips, as he pressed a few kisses to Maxwell’s neck. Turning his head to catch Bull’s lips in a kiss Maxwell smiled, touching his lover’s face gently, trailing his finger from the scarred cheek to his eye patch, finally settling on massaging the base of his horns.

Bull reacted right away, squeezing Maxwell’s hip and biting down on his lower lip, deepening the kiss. Maxwell did miss this closeness…

"Hey! We’re still here!" Sera's voce came from the kitchen and Maxwell broke the kiss right away, hiding his face against Bull's shoulder, feeling a blush rising to his cheeks.

"Can you wait a bit?” Maxwell whispered, ignoring the giggling around them. “We should be done with everything soon and then we can go."

“As long as you want me to, Kadan,” Bull whispered back and it was hard not to smile at the endearment.

"The Iron Bull," they all turned to see Cole holding a tray with four large glasses of juice. Maxwell blinked, surprised as the man stepped closer. He could have sworn Cole had already left since he hadn't heard him in the kitchen at all, but apparently not. It was as if Cole had some kind of powers that made him invisible every time he wanted to be. For a moment it looked like Cole might trip and spill everything, but in the end it wasn’t the first time Maxwell saw him move with ease as he put each drink on the table carefully.

"Aw, thanks, kid, you didn't have to."

Maxwell pressed a kiss to Bull’s forehead and got up and as soon as he did his lover snagged one glass from the table.

"You all wanted one and I wasn’t doing anything else,” Cole said as he tilted his head slightly. “You always order something, even when you come in after we’re closed. It's too late for coffee, but I made two glasses of orange juice and two strawberry milk-shakes."

"It's still kind of freaky, doesn't matter how many times you do that," Dalish said, waving one hand in random shapes and pointing at Cole, as she took one milk-shake with the other. Krem took the orange second glass of orange juice and Skinner didn’t say anything but still took the last glass from the table. “How do you do that, really? Every single time you know what we’re going to get.”

“I just do,” Cole shrugged. “It’s my job.”

"Thanks, Cole," Krem smiled at Cole then and he smiled back shyly, clearly pleased. 

He went back to the kitchen but before he disappeared behind the door he glanced at them briefly. He must have seen whatever it was he was looking for, because the small smile didn’t disappear from his face. It was great to see Cole opening up to more people, really, since he usually worked in the kitchen. Even then, though, he always somehow knew what everyone would want to drink, especially when it came to their regulars. There had been a couple times when he had changed the orders a little bit, about which Maxwell had been worried about and ready to apologize, but surprisingly not even once the customers had complained about the changes. Cole knew how to read people and it was incredibly impressive.

“I’ll just finish one list I started and then we’ll all go, okay?” Maxwell looked around.

"Do your thing and we'll wait," Bull said and Maxwell pressed a quick kiss to his lips and snagged from the table a cloth he had put there.

"Ah, other people I should know, I assume?"

They all turned to Dorian who just left the kitchen, Sera following him. They must have been working in the freezer, because neither of them looked particularly happy, especially Dorian, who was curling and uncurling fingers of one hand, frowning.

"Yeah, you kinda should. Hey, guys," Sera waved at the Chargers quickly before sprawling on one of the chairs and sighing loudly.

"Hey, Sera," Dalish said before taking a sip of her milk-shake.

"Right,” Maxwell looked first at Dorian, then at Bull, realizing that indeed, Dorian hasn’t had the chance to meet Bull or the Chargers yet, as the bikers had been out of town. “Dorian, this is Iron Bull..."

"The Iron Bull," Bull interrupted him and Maxwell rolled his eyes at his lover. "These are Dalish, Krem and Skinner."

"Dorian Pavus. Pleasure to meet you,” Dorian nodded shortly. “When I applied for work here I had no idea this shop had been doing well enough to have so many regulars."

"Oh, Chief is a regular all right," Krem smirked and Skinner snorted at his comment.

"Yup, he _comes_ here a lot," Dalish added and it was difficult for Maxwell not to roll his eyes at them.

"That was awful, you know that, right? I can’t believe you actually said that," Maxwell saw Dorian’s raised eyebrows and sighed, but glanced at Bull with a smile. “We’re together. Bull and I, I mean.”

Dorian blinked a couple of times, first looking at Maxwell, then at Bull. “Oh, well. Wonderful. Every day you learn something new. But that joke,” he glanced at Dalish, “makes much more sense now.”

"See? It was good. Also, Krem, Skinner and Sera laughed, so it definitely counts as funny," Dalish winked at Maxwell and took a next sip of her shake as Sera kept giggling.

Maxwell did not comment, just got back to filling out the lists again, shaking his head. The sooner he would finish, the sooner he and Bull would be able to get to their apartment, and maybe get some sleep at some point.

"Bull," Cassandra said, turning to look at the man, interrupting everyone. She looked serious, and so did Blackwall.

"Yeah?"

"You drive around the Frostback Mountains and surrounding cities more regularly,” she started hesitantly, as if she were wondering if she should be talking to him, prompting Maxwell to look up from the laptop again. “Have you, or any of the Chargers, heard anything about anyone wanting to buy a land or a house near the northern half of the city?"

"We're talking large investments here, possibly in more places than one," Blackwall added.

"It's about Haven, isn't it?" Krem asked, frowning, and Cassandra nodded. “Do you have any leads or…”

"We were just wondering,” Blackwall interrupted him. “It might be linked somehow, but we don't have much on this one.”

"Well, I haven't heard anything, but I'll tell my boys to keep their eyes and ears open if you want," Bull put the empty glass on the table. “We’ll let you know if we hear something.”

"We'd appreciate it," Blackwall said, but neither he nor Cassandra looked particularly pleased, and only then Maxwell noticed Cassandra observing Dorian’s reactions with the corner of her eye. "You do have our number if you hear anything."

"Or you could just come here, I think," Maxwell added. “I mean, you all are here fairly often.”

"Yes, but we would prefer a call. Have a good night. And Bull, try not to get in trouble."

"Can't promise anything, Detective,” Bull smiled and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"We'll stay in touch. Trevelyan, call me if Varric or Leliana come here or contact you."

"I'll tell Josephine, too. Have a good night."

When the door closed after Cassandra and Blackwall, Sera sighed and Krem and Skinner were observing Dorian quietly.

"Well, it looks like Detective Penthagast didn’t really want to talk about anything in front of me?" Dorian said, taking two cups from the table Cassandra and Blackwall were sitting at. “I assume it is about the burnt down coffee shop?”

“Yes, it is. The investigation is ongoing,” Maxwell said, turning off his laptop.

“And they must be suspecting this someone is from Tevinter, judging by their… distrust towards me.”

“No, not really. Cassandra doesn’t trust many people overall, especially concerning this case,” Maxwell assured him. “We all want to see it solved, you know?”

“Of course.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Dalish asked, raising one eyebrow. “It’s a long way from Tevinter.”

“Disagreement concerning worldviews,” Dorian replied shortly, focusing on Dalish, Krem and Skinner. “Sometimes leaving seems to be the best option, wouldn’t you agree? And “Skyhold Café” does benefit from my work here.”

“And from your modesty, too,” Sera giggled, but that was the end of the subject. 

Maxwell did not manage to finish the paperwork, not even a half of it, but at least he managed to do the most important lists Josephine would need by the end of the month. He would have to do the rest at home, which he wasn’t pleased about, especially since Bull was back in town. But he would make it work, like he always did. Only when Maxwell started putting everything away and locked the door he realized how tired he was. He didn’t even try to hide yawning.

Dalish and Sera were the first to disappear after they closed down, then Dorian left as well, wishing them all good night. Krem patted Bull and Maxwell on the back as he walked between them, telling them he and Skinner would walk with Cole, since they had planned to join the other Chargers at the pub and it was on the way.

When Maxwell was left alone, he felt Bull’s strong arm wrapping around his shoulders, bringing them closer together.

Maxwell thought they would get home faster, so he went to where Bull and the others usually left their motorcycles, but surprisingly, Bull led them to the nearest traffic lights. 

"Where's your motorbike?" he asked as they crossed the road. 

"I left it in front of the pub with the rest,” Bull squeezed his arm. “Grim wanted to look at it or something. Besides, it's not far, so we walked."

"I thought you were out of town for at least a week more. Not that I'm complaining, but..."

"Yeah, we went to sell Rocky's bike. He wanted to buy something new, so we planned to look at other bikes from Antiva if we were already there, but the guy tried to cheat us, so we left. And I thought it would be great to surprise you."

"It’s a nice surprise. How long are you staying?”

“Well, we hope to find some sort of a job here for the next three months, maybe more. I was hoping Cullen would find something for me and the boys in his business.”

“You know, you would do well as a bodyguard, I think,” Maxwell smiled. “Really, though? You’re all so bad at staying in one place…”

“We’ll see how it goes. Unless you don’t want me in the apartment?”

“Don’t be stupid. We will talk about this more tomorrow after I get some sleep, okay? If we don’t get home right now, I’m just going to fall asleep right here."

"Don’t worry, I already have a plan. When we get home I'll make sure you're nice and relaxed. How does that sound?"

"Perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [*THIS*](http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/10859.html?thread=45699691#t45699691%20) (and [*THIS*](http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/13890.html?thread=56925762#t56925762%20)) prompt at [Dragonage-Kink](http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/).
> 
> This is my first time writing an AU fic, but I couldn't help it. After I found this prompt I really felt like trying to write something for it, since I love coffee shop AUs in general. 
> 
> I enjoyed writing this a lot, too. At first I thought it would have about 1000 words or so, but then... a plotline appeared, I mentioned so many characters, and the fic got slightly longer than I expected. 
> 
> At this point I think I could write one or two fics more in this verse, since I ended up being quite excited about the whole idea, and I'm considering adding some more pairings, too. But we'll see :)
> 
> I'd really appreciate your thoughts and comments. Enjoy!
> 
> Thanks for beta to **[lil-1337](http://lil-1337.livejournal.com/)**.


End file.
